The following article appeared in the Florida Trend in July 2026:
When the leaders of 14 of Florida's foundations gathered this spring in Winter Park to discuss issues facing their sector, they had much to discuss.
The CEOs and trustees meeting for the Community Foundations of Florida annual event explored trends, challenges and opportunities facing their sector. They learned about cultural engagement, complex gifting, impact investing and the effects of policy changes at both state and federal levels.
One of the greatest lessons learned was the power of trusted collaborations that foundations can pursue to help their sector find new paths for success.
"One of the biggest takeaways from this year's retreat was that, while the challenges facing philanthropy are significant, community foundations are uniquely positioned to respond because of our local relationships, flexibility and long-term perspective," says BarzeIla Papa, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of North Central Florida and chair of the leadership team for the Community Foundations of Florida.
Foundations throughout Florida and nationwide are being asked to act faster, share more resources, take more risks and prove their impact to donors, benefactors
and communities alike. The leaders who can balance those tensions thoughtfully are the ones redefining how modern foundations operate.
In foundation offices across the state, leaders are staring down a host of issues. Papa cited increasing uncertainty around public policy and legislation, growing pressure from higher demand and rising costs on foundations and the nonprofits they support, shifts in donor expectations and the need to build and maintain trust across
increasingly diverse and complex communities.
At the same time, there was a strong sense of opportunity among the attendees. Community foundations are evolving beyond traditional grantmaking into broader community leadership roles. Conversations around data tools, and other solutions, revealed how foundations are becoming more sophisticated in helping donors
align charitable capital with long-term community impact, Papa says, acknowledging the "collaborative spirit among Florida's community foundations."
"Even though each community has unique needs, there was a shared commitment to learning from one another, sharing best practices and collectively strengthening philanthropy statewide." says Papa. "That level of collaboration is especially important during times of uncertainty because it allows us to respond more strategically and creatively to the challenges our communities face."
Navigating Changing Times
Many donors and donor-ad vised funds are becoming increasingly risk-averse amid today's political climate, making it critical for foundations to reaffirm their nonpartisan missions and focus on community needs rather than divisions, says Sabeen Perweiz, president and CEO of the Florida Nonprofit Alliance.
With many nonprofits facing severe financial strain statewide, foundations are increasingly funding exploratory grants and partnerships to examine new means of collaboration, potential mergers and shared-service models to strengthen sustainability, says Perweiz.
Despite the challenges, Perweiz sees optimism in collaborative philanthropy, the rise of giving circles, investments in sector-wide data initiatives and engaging openly with the donor community.
"It creates a landscape of how to talk to donors from a fact-based perspective, as opposed to responding with emotions or party lines; she says. "We're a large and growing state. With more people there's more work that needs to be done."
Some approaches to philanthropy and giving are timeless. At the GiveWell Community Foundation in Lakeland, the growth and practicality of donor-advised funds (DAFs) help donors engage in philanthropy and support community needs near to their hearts, says Callie Neslund, the organization's president and CEO. DAFs
engage community-minded individuals across many generations, especially during periods of economic volatility or new tax laws.
"In uncertain markets, DAFs offer donors valuable flexibility." says Neslund, whose organization this year crossed the half-billion-dollar granting milestone dating back to 1997. In Polk County, grant-making has gone to providing education and childhood services for the under-18 population and to endowing a pediatric nursing chair at Florida Southern College in Polk County, among other causes. Neslund says they've also funded charities serving retirees in Highlands and Hardee counties.
"In this environment, our real opportunity is to steward these funds well, encourage active grantmaking and align donor intent with the most pressing needs in our communities." says Neslund.
Measuring Outcomes
Last summer, GiveWell launched United Community Indicators (UCI) in collaboration with United Way of Central Florida. The data and insights on community needs
highlights the Central Florida region's biggest challenges and tracks trends in areas such as access to health care and housing affordability, Neslund says.
"We're big believers that what gets measured gets done" she says. "The UCI informs our grantmaking and provides local nonprofits with the objective data needed for their grant applications."
Similarly, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation released its 2025 Regional Scan, one of the largest listening efforts in the foundation's history. Through surveys and
focus groups of more than 1,500 residents across Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, the goal was to understand how residents experience life in the region and identify where collective efforts can make the greatest difference.
The findings identified three top community priorities: affordable housing, protecting the natural environment and helping people in times of crisis. Empathy was among the clearest themes to emerge, says Phillip Lanham, Gulf Coast Community Foundation's president and CEO. On average, 65% of respondents selected challenges that did not personally affect them, underscoring a community motivated by shared responsibility, not just self-interest, he says.
"Compassion shows up in every dataset." says Lanham, whose organization and its donors have driven more than $625 million in philanthropic impact since its founding in 1995. "What these results make clear is that our community sees its challenges, feels their impacts deeply and still believes in what is possible."
Impact Now!, a donor collaborative launched in partnership with the Elsa and Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation, is driven by grant decisions guided by local community committees ensuring investments reflect real priorities. This model points to a broader opportunity for foundations across the market, Lanham says. At a moment when government funding is uncertain and community needs are growing, community foundations "are built on long-term thinking and deep local relationships," he says, and "can serve as the connective tissue that brings donors, nonprofits and local leaders together around shared priorities."
Many are sensing a push for greater civic engagement. The Knight Foundation in Miami this year brought back the Knight Cities Challenge. The $5 million open call invited individuals and organizations to submit ideas that can spark change and lasting local impact. Its support of the nonpartisan Miami-Dade Innovation Authority helps local governments use technology to better serve residents in climate resilience, health and access to financial services.
Collaboration is essential to each program, especially as Florida's population continues to surge, says Francesca de Quesada Covey, the foundation's vice president for community impact.
"As more people, investment and attention flow into the state, there is a real opening for philanthropy to support communities in ways that expand opportunity, strengthen civic life and improve quality of life," she says. "We see a real opportunity for coordination and collaboration emerging among foundations and funders."
Foundation leaders are finding support in deepening their alliances. The Community Foundation of Broward in Fort Lauderdale earlier this year hosted the CEONet
Annual Retreat. Featured discussions on redefining growth, rethinking relationships and positioning community foundations for future leadership aligned with
t he retreat's theme of Navigating Changing Times.
For the 60 in attendance, the event reinforced the notion that "we're not on our own," says Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson, CFB president and CEO.
Foundations are constantly on the search for new partners also in search of scaling efforts beyond smaller initiatives into more broad impact. That could be their boards, donors, nonprofits or other foundations, or the mayor of a Florida town where homes damaged in recent storms are being elevated thanks to foundation support.
O'Flannery Anderson says the complexity of tackling issues like housing affordability, hunger, access to education or storm remediation can seem overwhelming. "Together," she says, "organizations bring power to their mission."
"We're building a coalition of others," she says. "There isn't one answer. Together, the strength of trust in these organizations sends a stronger message of knowledge, skill and ability. People see us as a valued and trusted partner who will be excel lent stewards of their legacy."
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